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Sunday, July 9, 2017

DAP unafraid of re-election, BN rubbishes sabotage claim

DAP was unafraid of having to hold yet another central executive committee (CEC) election to fulfil Registrar of Societies requirements, but the party is seeking guarantees that this ordeal will not recur.

The party's parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said the ROS could yet again find fault with DAP's internal election "on the flimsiest ground" and declare the results null and void in the year 2020.

"DAP is not afraid of holding DAP CEC elections, but what is there to prevent a recurrence of the ridiculous situation?

"This is how ridiculous the whole situation had become, as a result of Umno/BN conspiracy to sabotage the DAP and cause maximum damage and chaos in the party's preparations for the 14th general election...

"(This is) simply because the Umno and the BN coalition are worried there is a great possibility that the Umno/BN will be voted out of power in the next general election," he said.

He added that the ROS has yet to communicate on the re-election order, despite having made the matter public.

"I do not believe that any civil servant will act in this manner if there is no interference from his political masters," he said.

The ROS' decision followed several statements by prime minister's press secretary Tengku Sariffuddin Ahmad, who accused the DAP leader of being a dictator and rigging the party polls in 2012 and 2013 to favour those he chooses.

Guan Eng is the biggest winner

In a related development, BN Strategic Communications team representative Eric See-To said that DAP's accusations that they were the victim of BN's sabotage were invalid become the ROS had, as of October 2015, confirmed that the probe on the DAP was still ongoing.

"This is recorded in the Parliament Hansard for 2015 - hence DAP has no right to say that ROS is four years late in telling them," he said in a statement.

In fact, See-To said, the "biggest winner" of this ROS decision is DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who by right would need to vacate his seat by the end of the year.

"If either the 2012 or 2013 party election was recognised, Guan Eng would have now completed his third and final term by the end of last year - meaning that he can no longer be secretary-general.

"Since, neither the 2012 nor the 2013 election results are recognised, if DAP holds their party elections now, then Guan Eng can start his third term and remain secretary-general until the year 2020 - instead of having to retire last year.

"A three terms limit of three years each would have meant (a maximum) nine year (tenure) but due to ROS' decision and other delays, his tenure would now extend to a minimum of 17 years," See-To said.

As such, he accused the DAP of willfully ignoring the ROS' investigations in order to "play the sympathy card", when it is Guan Eng who benefits the most from the action.- Mkini